A calling party that desires to contact a called party over a communication network typically indicates the telephone number of the called party using a dialed string that is entered using a keypad on the telephone of the calling party. The dialed string is a sequence of numbers (or symbols) that identifies the telephone of the called party on the communication network. In the United States, for example, a telephone number typically consists of ten digits (i.e., a three digit area code and a seven digit local number).
It is often difficult, however, for a person to remember a ten digit telephone number for each of his or her acquaintances, especially as individuals increasingly have more than one associated telephone number (such as numbers for their telephone, facsimile and cellular telephone). In addition, even when a given telephone number can be recalled, the act of dialing a ten digit string takes time and is error prone, especially for longer dialed strings. Thus, a number of techniques have been proposed or suggested for reducing the length of a dialed string that a calling party must enter to identify a called party.
In an enterprise network, for example, such as a private branch exchange (PBX) switch of a corporation, users are typically assigned an n digit telephone extension within a range of numbers. For example, a given corporation may be assigned a range of telephone numbers, such as 732-555-0001 through 732-555-9999, and the employees located in a given corporate location may each be assigned a unique four-digit telephone extension within the range of numbers. Typically, the company's private branch exchange switch would be programmed so that employees can dial one another internally with only five digits (such as a leading “5,” followed by the four-digit extension of the called party). However, external callers must still dial the complete telephone number of a called party.
In addition, a number of telephone systems provide an “abbreviated dialing” feature that allows users to create their own list of abbreviated dial strings. Each abbreviated dial string has a corresponding longer dial string. Once a user has defined a list of abbreviated dial strings, the user can access the abbreviated dialing feature, for example, by depressing a special “feature access button” or by entering a “*” symbol, followed by the desired abbreviated dial string. In this manner, the longer dial string associated with the entered abbreviated dial string is used as if the calling party had actually dialed the longer dial string. Abbreviated dialing features, however, require each user to create their own list of abbreviations. In addition, a given user can only access his or her defined abbreviated dial strings from the user's own telephone (unless another telephone has been programmed in the same manner).
A need therefore exists for techniques for reducing the length of a dialed string that must be entered to identify a called party. A further need exists for an improved method and apparatus for translating a dialed string of a called party to another dialed string.